Baseball Ireland has announced the formation of the country's first-ever under-18's national team ©Baseball Ireland

Baseball Ireland has announced the formation of the country's first-ever under-18's national team.

The European nation's top youngsters will debut in July at the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB) Under-18 Championships in Swiss city Zurich.

The Irish will play the host nation, as well as Belgium, Poland and Russia.

The new side will give Ireland the chance of climbing the WBSC rankings ©Baseball Ireland
The new side will give Ireland the chance of climbing the WBSC rankings ©Baseball Ireland

"We expect the under-18 team to help Ireland take the next step in developing into one of the top baseball playing countries in Europe," said Baseball Ireland President Tom Kelley.

Ireland are currently 50th in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) world rankings, and currently only field a senior team.

As performance across all age groups contributes to the WBSC rankings, the formation of the under-18 side provides an opportunity to climb the ladder.